Gone
by J'adore Foxy T-T
Summary: What could have happened and we all know it.
1. Chapter 1

Bunny POV

You're dead. You have been for years now … … … five long, lonely years. None of us ever saw it coming, just as none of them saw the impact you had on us, none but me; you completed our family, completed me, you were my mate, but you're gone, now it's too late, we lost you. I feel guilt, though you asked me not to, guilt that I was unable to protect you, to push you out of the way before Pitch could bury his scythe into your chest.

I feel the biting in my wrist, something I ignore, as I draw the blade across them, cutting through fur and skin and muscle and sinew until the first beads of blood swell up and give way to steady streams. I lie down and think about you, only you: your laugh, your beautiful smile, your joy, that mischievous glint in your eyes and that smirk upon your face when you think of that next prank, your sweet innocence, your blissful hope, your compassion; anything that would remind me of you. By now I feel fuzzy and my vision blurs, and I imagine you lecturing me as I down in my own guilt. You hardly ever became angered, but when you did, you could make anyone feel their guilt. You never shouted, instead you perfected the Guilt Trip art; it was scary, how you made anyone want you to shout at them, much like I do now. I would love to be shouted at by you, at least it would mean I could see you again.

I know I've disappointed you, I've broken my promise to you: to carry on and move on with my life. How can I though, how can I be the Guardian of Hope when I have none to give? How can I be the Guardian of Life when I have nothing left to live for? I feel myself relax as I seem to fall asleep. I close my eyes as everything seems to stop in time and fades into darkness.

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When I open my eyes, I find myself standing in the center of a clearing surrounded by a vast forest. I turn my gaze to the sky and see countless stars gleaming and the moon blazing full and bright: everything was muddled yet sharp at the same time. "Bunny?"

I turn to see you standing there behind me looking as beautiful as ever … … … no … … … you're even more so. A smile creeps onto my face as I rush to you; I wrap you into my arms and hold you close, so close. A purr in my chest as you snuggle close with a contented sigh, you ruined the moment though as you pull back to slap me across my muzzle … … … _hard_.

"I know you thought you were protecting me, but that's for all the things you said about and to me." You slap me again … … … harder.

"That's for breaking your promise. You're not supposed to be here! said you'd move on; you gave me your word Bunny!"

"I know Jack, I know; I tried Jack, really I did, but I just couldn't do it. I couldn't just move on with my life, not without my mate, not without you."

"Oooh Bunny." You stretch up to the tips of your toes to place your lips against mine and it's as if you never left, that maybe this is just a dream and you'll still be here when I wake up. It has always been moments like these that remind me I did right by choosing you, how much I'm absolutely, irrevocably, undeniably, and unregrettably in love with you, my Snowflake.

"So what know Love?"

"Now you make a choice. This place is called, by the humans, Limbo, the space between spaces."

"You mean Purgatory?"

"No, Purgatory is the place your soul goes when the gods decide you are not worthy to enter the Gates of Heaven, but neither are you condemned to enter the Gates of Hell, instead you go to the place in between Heaven and Hell."

"Then, what do you mean the 'space between spaces'?"

"You're not dead Aster, at least … … … not yet. You need to decide whether to go back or go on. As much as I regret it, I personally want you to go back but only you can decide."

"Why would you want me to go back?"

"Do you know what it means to be the Guardian of Life? If you go back, the Earth lives, but if you go on … … … just like all other planets' Heart (those keeping their planet alive … … … like you) you'll be damning Earth. If you don't go back, it may take centuries or millennia, maybe longer, but eventually the Earth will die and everyone with it. You be killing Life on the planet, every plant, every animal, and every human and, without the belief of children to sustain them, North, Tooth, Sandy, Manny, even Pitch will slowly loose their power, become mortal, and die."

"I … … … want to go back, but only if you come with me."

"I can't Aster. By the Fate's decree I am dead … … … nothing can change that, not me, not you, not even Manny has the power to change Fate."

"Then … … … I can't do it, I can't go back. I wouldn't be able to be Earth's Heart, I'd just continue to waste away like I was. You kept me going, now … … … with you gone, I can still go back, but it'll just be delaying the inevitable, I'll still wind up back here some time down the road. I just can't do this without you Jack."

"Then go with him, the Fates say it is time anyway." Both turn to see a red haired elderly woman dressed in a mourner's dress glide toward Aster. "Shall I kiss you? Shall I make this all go away? Shall I release you?" (A/N: I got this character from _American Horror Story: Asylum_ (/wiki/Shachath).)

"Yes … … … yes please, set me free."

"Then come," she beckoned.

Aster walked toward her, and taking Jack's hand stood before her. With a great 'woosh' black wings burst forth from her back. She leaned forward to place her lips to his; Aster heard Jack tell him "I love you" and "it'll be okay, you'll be OK", before he felt pressure created by her lips pressing against his. Everything became so much sharper, and he heard the beating, like a drum, begin to grow silent.

*BA-BOOM. THUMP. BA-BOOM. THUMP. BA-BOOM. THUMP.*

*BA-BOOM. thump. BA-BOOM. thump. BA-BOOM. thump.*

*BA-BOOM. BA-BOOM. BA-BOOM.*

*ba-boom. ba-boom. ba-boom.*

*ba-boom. ba-boom.*

*ba-boom.*

*ba-*


	2. Chapter 2: Alternate Ending

(A/N: Unlike the previous ending, this does not take place five years after the fact, but instead days after the battle. I apologise for my crappy go at accents, sorry if they offend you.)

I fly to the workshop, it's been a few days since the battle with Pitch, and I'm sure the others are, by now, hopefully, worried about me. A few minutes later shows me Santoff Clausen, Santa's workshop and I silently urge Wind to carry me faster and she eagerly complies. It takes me before I find North, Sandy, Tooth, and … … … where's Bunny? _I guess Aster must be at the Warren,_ _ **Manny**_ _only knows the place needs a good tiding up. Maybe he'll let me help?_

"Hey guys, what's with the long faces? Aren't there supposed to be parties? You guys need to loosen up." They all jump and I soon find myself with an arm-full of feathers as Tooth and Baby Tooth slam into me, tears flowing down their faces. "Hey … … … it's okay? Why are you crying anyways?"

"Oh J-j-jack! W-e t-th-ought y-y-yo-ou w-w-e-re d-d-d-d-de-ad!"

"Oooooh, well … … … not just yet. Pitch missed anything vital, luckily. I actually woke not too long ago; I just needed a few days to rest and heal. I'm fine … … … really I am. Where's Aster though? Is he at the Warren? Does he not want our help? It really is a mess."

None would so much as look me in the eyes. _This can't be good._ "Ggggguuuyyyyysssss? Where Aster? Where's my Bunny? Guys, answer me please. Is he okay? TELL ME!"

"Jack, ve thought you dead. Thought 'it Bunny vorst." North reached into his coat and removed an opened envelope. He handed it over as I read in dread.

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My fellow Guardians,

Please don't hate me. I know you will be disappointed in me

for abandoning everything but I cannot go on, not without

Jack, not without my mate. How can I be the Guardian of

Hope when I have none to give? How can I be the Guardian

of Life if I have nothing left to live for? I leave all this behind

in the hopes I can now join Jack in the next world beyond here.

Sorry,

E. Aster Bunnymund

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"Wha? What is this? What's going on?"

'We are sorry.'

"Da. Sandy right, we are sorry. Bunny did not tell us you mated but now makes since vhy he told us what he did, he try to protect you. Bunny … … … he loved you much. The thought of you … … … dead, it vas … … … too much. Ve are sorry … … … but … … … Bunny … … … he died a few days ago."

"What! No! This is a joke right, just a cruel joke? If it is, I'm sorry for how I acted, but-" It wasn't, a joke that is, I could see it in their eyes. They spoke the truth and I could feel my world shatter with no chance of healing. "N-no!

Th-is c-c-can't be h-ha-p-p-p-en-in-ng. I-it c-c-can't b-be. N-n-no!"

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Three figures stood, or floated in Sandy's case, before two fresh graves. "Children believe in us so we are immortal in a since, but I wish we didn't still die," said Tooth, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

The first grave belonged to Aster, taken by his own hand a few days prior; the second, not made even an hour ago, now belonged to Jack. Once he had learned of his lover's death, Jack fell so deep into depression no one was even able to get him to acknowledge their presence, not even Sandy's sand would work. When Phil tried to wake him yesterday morning, he wouldn't; a quick medical scan told them what happened: Jack had lost the will to live and had passed that very night in his sleep due to a broken heart.

"Da, I vish it were so. Hopefully zey have each ozer and are happy. I hope zey can hear us and know ve vill always miss zem and ve vill never forget zem."

When they left an hour later, they never noticed two figures standing not three feet from them. A giant rabbit stood with his strong, muscular arms wrapped around the waist of a small white haired teen.

"We hear you North, we do," the teen gazed up to the moon, "Watch over them for us."

The rabbit then hugged the teen closer and nuzzled into his neck. "Manny'll watch 'or them Jack, don' ya worry yerself, an' Ah'll watch 'or ya."

Jack smirked and turned to place a chaste kiss upon the rabbit's lips. "Come one Kangaroo, it's time. You promised to introduce me to your family and you mine and I'm holding you to that."

Hand in paw, the two walked off before fading as both E. Aster Bunnymund and Jackson (Jack) Frost left this world to begin their new life in the next.

Finis


End file.
